Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Buillon Castle finds its origins in the ancient abbey palace of the Cistercian Abbey of Buillon, sold as a national property during the Revolution. The left central part, dated from the end of the 16th century, and the right part with the south wing, built in the 18th century, served as residence for the abbot. After the dissolution of the abbey, the site became the home of a local forge master, marking his transition to a secular function.

In 1846, the castle was acquired by Marcel Tissot, an enriched drapier in Nantes, originally from Franche-Comté, which undertook major developments. His son, the painter James Tissot, inherits the estate in the 19th and 20th centuries and adds picturesque elements (tower in ruins, mill, entrance buildings) in a romantic medieval style. James Tissot finished his life there in 1902 and rested in the private chapel of the castle, now owned by the public.

The present Renaissance style castle is distinguished by its semicircular balcony façade supported by doric columns. Its 2 km park along the Loue houses classified outbuildings (kiosk, greenhouse, basin, aviary), testimonies of successive beautifications. The ensemble, always private, illustrates the evolution of a religious site in aristocratic residence, then in artistic field.

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